Automatic bead seater assembly

ABSTRACT

An automatic bead seating assembly to automatically move a bead seating assembly or manifold into contact with a wheel or tire assembly and cause the bead to be seated. The assembly comprises an extendable and retractable seater arm attached at one end to a base, with a bead seater or manifold assembly attached or mounted at the other end. The bead seater or manifold assembly may comprises a reservoir filled with compressed air or other gas, and a hose or pipe for movement of the air or gas from the reservoir to a nozzle of an appropriate size and shape to fit a particular wheel or tire. The seater arm extends forward until the bead seater or manifold assembly comes into contact with the wheel or tire assembly, whereupon air or gas from the manifold reservoir is released, causing the tire bead to be seated. The seater arm then retracts.

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/747,146, filed May 10, 2007 now U.S. Pat. No.7,997,321, which claims benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 60/746,923, filed May 10, 2006, entitled“AUTOMATIC BEAD SEATER ASSEMBLY,” and is entitled to the benefit ofthose filing dates in whole or in part. The specifications, drawings,and complete disclosure of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.60/746,923 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/747,146 areincorporated herein by specific reference for all purposes.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to devices for seating a tire bead on a wheel,and related methods.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Various techniques and devices are known in the art for seating thebead, or inner rim, or a tire on a wheel rim. The goal is to ensure thatthe bead of the tire aligns with and seats within the bead seat on thewheel rim. Air may be trapped between the edges of a tire and the rimduring the mounting process. When vehicle wheel is balanced with thetrapped air in place, undesired imbalance conditions can result duringoperations after the trapped air escapes.

The bead seating problem is not easily solved. Friction inhibitsmovement between the rubber tire and the metal rim. Some bead seatingmethods use lubrication combined with partial inflation and manipulationof the tire. These methods are labor intensive and relatively slow. Somemachines address the problem by massaging or pushing on the tire inorder to seat the bead. But these techniques also are relatively slowand lead to imperfect bead seating. They also require extensive humaninvolvement.

Accordingly, what is needed is an improved bead seater assembly that canautomatically perform the bead seating task in an automatic tireinstallation and wheel assembly operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one exemplary embodiment, the present invention comprises anautomatic bead seater assembly with an extendable and retractable seaterarm attached at one end to a base, with a bead seater or manifoldassembly attached or mounted at the other end. The bead seater ormanifold assembly may comprises a reservoir filled with compressed airor other gas, and a hose or pipe for movement of the air or gas from thereservoir to a nozzle of an appropriate size and shape to fit aparticular wheel or tire. The hose or pipe and reservoir are connectedby a valve.

The invention may be used in a wire or tire assembly operation. A tireor wheel assembly is moved into inflation position, which activates thebead seating process. The tire or wheel assembly is locked into place,or movement is otherwise inhibited, and then the seater arm extendsforward, moving the manifold assembly towards the tire or wheelassembly. When the manifold assembly contacts the tire assembly, whichmay be determined by sensors, the valve in the manifold assembly isactivated, releasing air or other gas from the manifold reservoir tocause the tire bead to be seated. The seater arm then retracts, movingthe manifold assembly back from the tire assembly. The tire assembly isreleased to move, and is moved to the next stage of processing(typically, inflation). The next tire or wheel assembly is then movedinto place, and the process repeats.

In one exemplary embodiment, the seater arm may comprise two or moresub-pieces. The seater arm may comprise two parallel bars supporting themanifold assembly, with a piston-like section connecting the parallelbars to the base. The piston(s) may be pneumatic, and allows for theextension and retraction of the manifold assembly. A second pistonassembly or support device may be used to hold the seater arm in theappropriate position, and this second piston assembly also may extendand retract with the seater arm. The second piston assembly may beattached to appropriate support means, such as a vertical bar, rod orpost extending up from the base.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows views of a bead seating assembly in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, one exemplary embodiment of the present inventioncomprises an automatic bead seater assembly 2 comprising a seater arm 4attached at one end to a base 6, with a bead seater or manifold assembly8 attached or mounted at the other end. The bead seater or manifoldassembly 8 comprises a reservoir 24 filled with compressed air or othergas, and a hose or pipe 26 for movement of the air or gas from thereservoir 24 to a nozzle 28 of an appropriate size and shape to fit aparticular wheel or tire. The hose or pipe 26 and reservoir 24 areconnected by a valve 22. Various types of bead seaters 8 are well knownin the industry, and can be used in place of the bead seater or manifoldassembly shown in FIG. 1.

Use of the automatic bead seater assembly is as follows: A tire or wheelassembly 20 is moved into inflation position, which activates the beadseating process. The tire or wheel assembly 20 is locked into place, ormovement is otherwise inhibited. Then the seater arm 4 gradually extendsforward to move the manifold assembly 8 towards the tire or wheelassembly 20. When the manifold assembly 8 is in place, as determined bythe appropriate sensors, and the manifold assembly contacts the tireassembly, the valve 22 in the manifold assembly 8 is activated,releasing air or other gas from the manifold reservoir 24 to cause thebead to be seated. The seater arm 4 then retracts, moving the manifoldassembly 8 back from the tire assembly 20. The tire assembly 20 isreleased to move, and is moved to the next stage of processing(typically, inflation). The next tire or wheel assembly 20 is then movedinto place, and the process repeats.

In one exemplary embodiment, the seater arm 4 may comprise two or moresub-pieces. As shown in FIG. 1, the seater arm 4 comprises two parallelbars 30 supporting the manifold assembly 8, with a piston-like section32 connecting the parallel bars to the base 6. The piston may bepneumatic, and allows for the extension and retraction of the manifoldassembly 8. A second piston assembly 34 may be used to hold the seaterarm 4 up in the appropriate position, and this second piston assembly 34also extends and retracts. The second piston assembly may be attached toappropriate support means—as shown in FIG. 1, this is a vertical bar 36extending up from the base 4. In an alternative embodiment, only onepiston may be used.

In another exemplary embodiment, the device may include controls andsensors to control the action, which may be limited to a single axis.

Thus, it should be understood that the embodiments and examples havebeen chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles ofthe invention and its practical applications to thereby enable one ofordinary skill in the art to best utilize the invention in variousembodiments and with various modifications as are suited for particularuses contemplated. Even though specific embodiments of this inventionhave been described, they are not to be taken as exhaustive. There areseveral variations that will be apparent to those skilled in the art.Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be definedby the claims appended hereto.

1. A device for automatically seating a bead on a tire, comprising: abead seating assembly affixed to a first end of an extendible arm, thebead seating assembly comprising a reservoir filled with a compressedgas, and a bead seating nozzle in fluid connection with the reservoir;and a support assembly connected to the arm, wherein the supportassembly comprises a piston with a first and second end, the first endof the piston attached to the arm at a point between the first andsecond ends of said arm.
 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising abase, wherein a second end of the extendible arm is connected to thebase.
 3. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more pistonassemblies attached to the arm.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein thepiston assemblies cause the arm to extend and retract.
 5. The device ofclaim 1, wherein the arm comprises two parallel bars.
 6. The device ofclaim 1, further comprising sensors in the bead seating assembly.